Teaching your child calistung (reading, writing, and counting) at home starts with three habits: short 10 to 15 minute sessions each day, introducing letter sounds before letter names, and practising counting with real objects. Children aged 4 to 7 absorb calistung best when the mood is warm and free of pressure.
- Teach letter sounds first (b says buh), because phonics is shown to speed up reading
- Keep sessions to 10 to 15 minutes to match a young child's attention span
- Practise counting with everyday objects, from shirt buttons to staircase steps
- Homemade letter cards and number cards from thick paper
- Picture storybooks with large print to read aloud every day
